The Michigan-based friends from college just released a new TFLN book. Like the site, it chronicles the digital dispatches of those unforgettable nights most would rather not remember. We caught up with Lauren and Ben about ditching law school, quarter-life crises and lessons they’ve learned from culling through America’s text messages.

WSJ: Where did the idea for Texts From Last Night come from? Ben Bator: Our friends used to send us text messages that were too good not to share.Lauren Leto: I’ve gone back and deleted some of mine that were mine in the beginning when we were just started because I was so embarrassed. We tried to be anonymous, and only post the area code and text.BB: We really thought we were going to have careers…as lawyers. We were also worried that people would have thought we made them up, but we’re not funny enough to make this stuff up.

WSJ: What determines which texts get published? LL: We only publish about 40 to 50 of the 15,000 texts we get every day.BB: People get themes when they see what’s on the site and think that’s the key to get in. My brother helps us edit it. We’ll go through pages and pages. You start to notice patterns. People keep saying things like “needless to say.”LL: We had a lot of “may or may not” when we’re starting out and hungrier for texts. I’m so over that now. There’s a lot of Ellen Page-esque talk that gets in. I try to only let one or two of those in a day. I’m over unicorns, too. Cool thing is the book has some never-before-published texts.BB: The site really took off when people started updating their statuses and using Twitter more. We get hate mail, too. People mad that their text didn’t make it. But then they never say what the text is!LL: I told one angry lady that her text wasn’t funny. She wrote back in all caps.
BB: People forget that we don’t have a context. They think something their friend Jimmy did was funny, but forget that we don’t know Jimmy, and we don’t know that Jimmy never drinks and got wasted. It has to be something that stands alone. I mean, I’ve woken up in bathtubs, a lot can happen. (We had a lot of fun in college.)

WSJ: So the good ones are really mini stories.LL: That’s the TV show!BB: We’re just taking it out of context and putting it out there. I love trying to think of how people got into these situations.LL: Sometimes, I look at it and think ‘I’ve been there and it was so painful.’ We got one that was like ‘my milkshake brings 80 to 90% of the boys to the yard’ I love that!BB: That’s part of communication now. We’ve gotten to the point where you have to get your point across in a text or a tweet.

WSJ: There are lots of blogs to books out there. What makes you different?LL: It’s a book you can get lost in. We didn’t even put in page numbers.BB: Everyone would pick up the book and pass it around. It’s easier to share in some respects than a site on a laptop.

WSJ: With the rise of the cameraphone, are people sending in photos, too?LL: We once got a picture of a naked old woman. But we’re more worried about the comments on our site.BB: It’s crazy. People put their phone numbers up in the comments and we have to delete that. We don’t really need to add photos or voicemails. We’re good with texts.

WSJ: Texts seem a little more innocent.BB: It’s amazing that anything about our site is innocent.

WSJ: What else lands in the inbox?LL: There are people who worry about people thinking everyone will know it’s their text. It’s weird because no one would know it was you. I remember the one guy who was worried about getting fired from his national security job.BB: A lot of people just assume now that everyone sends everything to Texts From Last Night and that we’ll publish it. People equate us with the next morning.

WSJ: With blogging and Facebook photo tagging, there’s the same thing. You act differently because you’re worried someone will catch you. So now texts just don’t go to one person anymore? BB: It’s mostly a private one on one communication. At one point, these were private conversations. That’s what makes it more voyeuristic and fun. It’s more intimate than email.LL: This site has also been a big boost to my self-esteem. I think sometimes, ‘Wow, I’m not that bad after all.’BB: There’s some walk of shame things, like ‘the cop felt bad for me and let me play with the sirens on my way home.’ We love those, it’s like a combination of “Superbad” and every night I wished I had.LL: People like the funny ones better.BB: It’s funny sad, bittersweet. You laugh because everyone has been there.

WSJ: Or hasn’t….BB: Or hasn’t but maybe wants to! We’re trying to sum up an entire night in one short phrase.

WSJ: As kids, were you guys note passers? LL: Yeah, remember those electronic dictionaries or TI graphing calculators? That’s how I got asked out in 5th grade.BB: I would slip notes in the cover of books and pass them. I totally would get caught.